GETTING STARTED ON YOUR FITNESS JOURNEY

So, you’ve finally decided to begin a fitness program. CONGRATS!!! You’ve done the hardest part… you made a decision. Now, where to get started… Here are some great tips.

• If you are a male over 45 or a female over 55, have a physical. While in the doctor’s office, inform them that you are about to start an exercise program and ask if there are any limitations specific to you… intensity, time, frequency, physical limitations due to injury, etc…
• Once you have the green light, schedule your exercise. Think of it as your hour of power. Make it a must-have. Exercise first thing in the morning if possible to get your day and your metabolism kicking.
• Start slow if you are a beginner or if you haven’t exercised in while.
• Experts recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week.
• It is recommended that healthy adults exercise 60-90 minutes per day that includes 45 minutes of vigorous exercise.
• Choose activities that you enjoy or be adventurous and learn something new.
• Don’t get discouraged if you don’t have 30-60 consecutive minutes… research has shown that 10 minutes here or there… as long as it adds up to 30-60 minutes… is just as effective.
• Strength train a minimum of two days per week.
  20-60 minutes depending on your fitness level
• To begin strength training, perform one exercise per major muscle group (8-10 total). One to three sets of your 10-15 rep maximum.
• Perform cardiovascular exercise a minimum of three days per week.
  20-60 minutes depending on your fitness level
• Cardiovascular exercise (aerobic) is rhythmic exercise that recruits large muscle groups such as walking, jogging, cycling, elliptical, aerobic dance, etc…
• Determine your target HR and monitor during exercise to determine if your intensity is high enough to get results.

Target HR: 220 - age - resting HR X desired intensity
(60-85%) + resting HR
Example: 220-26-38 X .85 + 38 = 170 BPM

• Perform flexibility exercises a minimum of three days per week… every day is optimal
• Make sure you always warm-up for a minimum of five minutes before exercise and cool-down for five to ten minutes after exercise.
• Consult with a fitness professional to help design a program based on your goals and schedule. Those who utilize the services of a trainer see more results and see them 30% faster than those who go-it alone.
• Benefits of working with a professional include:
  ” Insurance of proper form and intensity
  ” Accountability
  ” Knowledge
  ” A program, professionally designed to meet your needs
  ” Proper progression methods
  ” Proper training system for your goals
  ” motivation
  ” a trainer is your own, personal, unique repetition counter
• Get the proper gear for your chosen activity.
• Make sure you wear good shoes with the right support for your feet.
• Wear the proper clothing for the activity and weather conditions.
• Stay hydrated. Drink 16-24oz of water about 30 minutes before exercise. Drink 4-6oz of water every 15 minutes during exercise and drink 24oz of fluid within 30 minutes of completing your workout.
• Get moving!!

This entry was posted on March 22, 2007 at 3:35 pm and is filed under Fitness Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.